The controversial "new" Beatles album, an orchestration-stripped version ("deSpectorized," as the fans have been saying) of second-to-last-but-really-final album Let It Be will be released as Let It Be . . . Naked on November 17. Why they couldn't have stuck with Get Back, as the plan originally stated, we'll never know. What is certain is that the disc will be packed with dialogue and photography that was issued with the first release of the album in 1970 but didn't make the cut for the original CD release. Along with this will be a bonus disc of "fly on the wall" studio outtakes.…
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26 - BB
"Sounds to me like the Beatles just want a little more money."
I totally agree. I mean really, I'm a die-hard fan of the lads too but just how much money is enough Paul? With the amount of money McCartney has made over the years (last time I checked he was a billionaire) how about showing some fan appreciation and giving us something for free (and I don't mean Kazaa). Just another example of how the industry makes money thanks to technology (nudge, nudge, wink, wink ;-).
I agree with Eric, I like the Spector sound and it will be hard to swallow a no-frills version. Although I haven't heard 'Naked' yet, being a former recording engineer myself it will be interesting just to hear how the original tracks sounded before they were tweaked by Spector.
And speaking of naked, how bout that Paul being a Daddy again at 61! Of course with all of his money he can afford to buy all the viagra he wants.
27 - Eric Olsen
yeah! after the purists (and I mean that in the best possible way) have waxed rhapsodic about nakedity, BB says bring on the Spector!
How's this for heathen bastardization? I like the Buddy Holly tunes with the posthumous Fireballs accompaniment Norman Petty slapped on better than the naked originals. Blasphemy!
28 - BB
Has everybody forgotten the contribution of the 5th Beatle - Sir George Martin? Imagine how pure they would have sounded without him. Blasphemy I tell you!
29 - Chris
I can appreciate both sides of this argument, to the extent that (1) Yes the idea was to create a live, informal, "no tricks" feel, and (2) Spector sure changed that. But bear in mind that Spector did this only because NOBODY else (those in the Beatles) wanted to deal with the tapes. By the time the movie comes around (in 1970, after Abbey Road, having been ignored for 12+ months), the Beatles were all but dissolved (arguments have lingered over who left when, but let's face it: the bloom was off the rose).
Spector shows up to clean up the mess they threw on the shelf months earlier in frustration. And he made a fairly good stab at it. He had to pour over 200+ hours of live tape, divining out 30+ minutes of the best takes of some official songs, through in some chatter, and a few jams (Dig It, Maggie Mae) to give the feel of a session. Now if he had left it at that he likely would have succeeded. Paul probably wouldn't have gone to pout in his musical corner about "Long...Road" and everyone would have said, "good enough." But Spector added his choirs and orchestras (hey, you dance with the devil, you're going to get burned). He is after all, mister mega-production. Ironically, the Beatles had become "mega-minded" too, hence the whole purpose of the project in the first place.
So, if they had just stripped it clean (today) and re-released it as Spector did but without the added fluff then, again, it would probably be OK. But, of course, Beatle fans are fetishists, and any chance to scrape more product from the bottom of the vat and they'll come running. Again, we're talking about 200+ hours of music, and there's bound to be some appeal in hearing another take of a song. That's what years of bootlegs, and the Anthology set, have tried to give us. Having heard the earlier Glyn Johns mixes, with a wide throw of track orderings and track selections, I don’t believe there could ever be a simple solution. Much like bootlegs of Dylan's basement tapes, perhaps Apple just needs to put it all out. Put out some massive 200-hour (150 cd?) set of all the tapes. You can't please everyone, and those who continually say you-forgot-this-song, or that-take-is-better-than-this-one can be sent home with the whole package, they can shut up, leave everyone else alone, listen to the whole shooting match and figure out whatever it is THEY want.
...Anyone up for the Brian Wilson's "Smile" tapes next?...
30 - BB
The point is - why give it to Spector in the first place? Why not their own producer George Martin? Why weren't any Beatles with Spector to oversea production? So many whys. It seems rather childish to boo hoo after the fact when they willingly put it in his hands. They obviously didn't want to have anything to do with it. They were more preoccupied with suing each other and competing with their own solo efforts. They knew the type of work Spector produced and they got what they asked for. What more is there to say. Suck it up boys.
31 - Eric Olsen
Don't forget that by then Spector WAS their producer, at least in part. Around the same time he worked on Harrison's All Things Must Pass and Lennon's Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, classics all.
32 - BB
I suppose so Eric, insomuch as Allen Klein would also be considered their manager. With respect to "Let It Be", I would have proposed a more introspective name for the Naked album - i.e."Let It Bleed".
33 - Eric Olsen
You're right about management - it was all downhill once Brian was gone
34 - BB
I really believe it is all about megalo-egomaniac McCartney's need to be in the limelight. He must sit around the house going through old tapes dreaming up schemes to stay in the news and relive the glory days.
35 - lee
if you play the 2nd verse of the naked 'across the universe' on a turntable at 45rpm, you will hear a very interesting revelation......
36 - Tom Johnson
Is Paul dead again?
37 - Ray
Though I haven't heard a sound of the new cd, I've had the Get Back acetate bootleg of Glyn Johns version for years now. I'm sure this will be close.
I would just like to point out a myth that has been around for years and alive and well in a few posts above.
Nothing from the rooftop concert is on any version of the album. The whole point of the record was a "get back to our roots" thing they decided to do after three years of studio work. McCartney wanted to tour and Harrison and Lennon didn't. At that time Lennon was sick of it anyway, so the roof was a compromise of sorts done at the end. Proof lies in the actual rooftop version of Get back on Anthology 3.
Pure horsesh*t. No acoustics, and a band that hadn't played live for three years shows. It was done especially for the film. They did run through most of the cuts from the album up there, some more than once.
38 - RON
I LIKE IT BETTER THAN THE SPECTOR,
VERSION IT SHOWS THE BEATLES AS THE,
DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE ALBUM,
THIS IS THE WAY THE ORIGINAL SHOULD, HAVE BEEN RELEASED WITH OUT SPECTOR.
39 - Eric Olsen
I've only heard a few songs, but I say gimme the Phil.
40 - Tom Johnson
I haven't heard it enough times yet to render it good or bad yet, but it does tend to be a little "dry." But I do like the mastering - it sounds so much more lively than the much flatter, hissier 80s master that is used on the original Let It Be CDs. I'd be happy if they'd just remaster the whole catalog and be done with re-engineering history.
41 - Taloran
I love it. Stripped down to its natural elements. You can actually hear George's guitar for the first time.
42 - Troy Semple
Have listened to it a few times on my computer at work but not yet on my home system to hear the sonic quality.
That being said, I think the gems of Let It Be...Naked are the version of Don't Let Me Down which sounds like it belonged here all along; and the version of I've Got a Feeling, which is a bit different from the original LP but always one of my favorite later-era Beatle tunes. The version from Anthology 3 was the rooftop performance, which was loose and fun, with a few vocal flubs. Someone earlier mentioned this was an edit of the rooftop performance; it doesn't sound like it to me, though I did read where they used some of the rooftop performances and digitally removed such things as wind noise.
All in all I think justice has been done to the album, although I think I would have left the original running order intact. I also liked the band banter that was on the original...kind of reminded you that they were live in the studio.
43 - Pope John Paul George & Ringo I
Well I think LIBN sounds nice and clean like a 21st century album should and is certainly better for "Don't Let Me Down" getting included. However I think the 2nd disc is a waste of space and could have been added to Disc 1 (and still only filled about 56 mins). Why couldn't we get the "all be-it shoddy" but interesting mixes of ;
Two of Us (the electric version)
Madman,Suzy Parker and Watching Rainbows
All Things Must Pass
Let it Be (where George sings "...she is sitting on the lavatory"..classic scouse humour)
Dig it (the full version)
Commonwealth
Geh Raus
Across the Universe (ya right Richie version)
and many more
44 - Eternal_Ds
I'm sitting here listening to the "Let It Be....Naked", and i'm so glad all the Spectorizing has been diluted. I love the 'old' Let It Be, and this "New:Old" one is just fantastic. Maybe its because I'm not listening to it on some crappy old stereo, with the needle stuck with some dustbunnies, and all the snap, crackle, pop has been left to my morning cereal. I'm just a casual fan, not a fantic, but i'd take this over the old one any day. Enjoy it how it was meant to be. Let it Be.......
45 - Kate
I am surprised that one may call oneself a Beatle-fan whithout having a good word for their pure fantastic magic work or without a respect and support them(you should only congratulate Paul for being able to be a father at his age again it only proves his vitality and power you may miss at your age).Remember what Ringo said about Let it be Naked he really appreciated and told Paul that his opinion was right regarding Phil Spector unnecessary contribution,which Paul hated from the first moment (not because he is suddenly in need of money - its ridiculous).Old fans are simply too old to be opened for new concepts, but the Beatles will be able to prove themselves with the changes of new times forever.
46 - Eric Olsen
Spector rules, when he isn't shooting or imprisoning women
47 - Eric Berlin
I'd love to see The Doors release a naked version of The Soft Parade, though I recognize that there might not be a huge market for such a release right about now.
48 - HW Saxton
That's a strange choice for the digital
treatment,Eric. A lot of Doors fans say
it's the worst LP/CD that they released
during their short career.To give Jim a
bit of credit where credit is due, I've
got to admit that he does a pretty mean
impression of Vic Damone on "Touch Me".
Personally speaking,I'd like to hear the
first two LP's (S/T & Strange Days) and
L.A. Woman re-mastered.
Or even better than that, would be the
emergence of those tapes that The Doors
(w/o Jimbo)supposedly did with Iggy Pop.
Collectors have been wetting themselves
for years about the possibility of these
things existing.
49 - Eric Berlin
HW - The reason I mention is that it's the most overdone Doors album in terms of production, horns section, etc. Many people think it would have been much better without all that crap. Personally, I like most of it, but it does contain some of the worst songs they ever laid down in the studio (Shaman's Blues, Do It).
In terms of rare recordings: I'd love to hear the Van Morrison / Doors combo live at the Whiskey from 1966 or 1967. Now that would be the stuff.
I don't remember hearing anything about The Doors doing anything with Iggy Pop, only that Iggy saw The Doors and was inspired to start a band. He was awfully young at the time.
50 - HW Saxton
That makes total sense Eric.I think that
"Soft Parade"(most of it anyway)could be
salvageable,once stripped of the horns
(very Tijuana Brass sounding)and all of
those syrupy strings that mar the better
cuts on there.
I vaguely remember reading about Iggy
being inspired by The Doors in his auto-
bio "I Need More".It's been years since
I've read that book.
RE: Iggy & The Doors. After Jim died,The
Doors contemplated going on w/o Jim and
auditioned vocalists. Seeing as to how
The Stooges and The Doors had been label
mates at Elektra, mutual acquaintances
introduced them and Iggy gave it a shot.
Rumor has it they played around on some
bluesy material like "Back Door Man" &
similar stuff.
But as Iggy was really strung out on "H"
at the time as well as suffering from
mental illness(which no doubt was fed by
his heroin habit),things didn't work out
and nothing ever came of it. Except that
The Doors put out a couple more LP's w/o
a lead vocalist that are just plain bad
("Other Voices" &I think "Full Circle"?)
in anyone's book.
51 - Eric Olsen
by then the doors of perception had been slammed shut
52 - Eric Berlin
I've only heard a few tracks off the two non-Jim Doors albums (they're awfully hard to find these days) and have liked but not loved them. Ray Manzarek is a competent and bluesy bar band frontman, but minus Jim it just wasn't the same. There was a really odd yet compelling song floating around the Internet called "I'm Drunk I'm Stoned" (I believe) that was quite good. I also like some of the Doors-era songs fronted by Ray, particularly "Close to You," which is fairly rollicking.
53 - HW Saxton
I haven't heard The Doors(sans Jim) LP's
for a long time. I do remember them as
being close to unlistenable though.
The Ray Manzarek solo things are not too
spectacular either.It's been years since
I've heard 'em, maybe they'll be worth a
second listen.Maybe.
Maybe some brave & enterprising blogger
will yack about the post-Morrison Doors
and the band members post Doors solo LPs
and whatnot.That would be an interesting
post.
"Close To You" is a Willie Dixon penned
tune that Muddy Waters recorded back in
1958. You're right that Ray really does
shine on the bluesy material when he was
fronting the band.
PS: I got to see Ray play 3 songs with X
back in 1980 at The Whiskey A Go-Go in
L.A. He played "The World's A Mess" and
"Nausea" off the first X record and for
their encore the late Top Jimmy came out
and sang a kickass version of "Roadhouse
Blues" with Ray on the keyboards.
54 - Eric Berlin
That X show sounds great.
I have a solo Robbie Krieger album (mostly if not all instrumental) that ranges from not great to fair. There is an extended Peace Frog jam on it though, which is really the one highlight.
The Doors were definitely down with Dixon as I believe Backdoor Man was another number of his.
55 - Eric Olsen
Ray produced that first X album - that's why he was there! I had completely forgotten that. Damn, HW, I may have run into you at the Whiskey or Roxy in '80, I had just returned to sunny SoCal from Ohio
56 - HW Saxton
We may well have crossed paths at some
point back then Eric.I used to make the
trip from Vegas down to L.A. all of the
time. Quick drive,right about 4 hrs and
you're there.I saw many bands this way,
such as The Ramones at The Whiskey (it
was like seeing them in the living room
of your own home)Iggy at the Stardust
Ballroom (insane show,he was touring in
support of the "Soldier" LP), Dead Boys
at The Starwood (also a great place to
pick up on "New Wave" type girls LOL) &
so many more.
I remember the X show clearly. They had
"The Gears" opening for them and Exene's
sister Mary was killed in a car wreck on
that same evening.It was their big debut
show, as the 1st Slash LP had just been
released. Before seeing them live I had
only ever heard them on the Dangerhouse
Records compilation "Yes L.A." I used to
go see X,Gun Club,Blasters,Top Jimmy and
Ray Campi & His Rockabilly Rebels every
chance I could.I dug the Punk stuff like
The Germs,Black Flag & all but was more
interested in the rootsier punk sounds
like The Gun Club and The Blasters.
If you could name some shows from back
then I could tell you if I was there.
I used to hang out at "The Atomic Cafe"
on Alameda quite a bit, especially after
going to see shows at The Hong Kong Cafe
Madame Wongs(Downtown)and Al's Bar.
57 - JOHN SHUTRUMP
Have the 2 remaining BEATLES EVER THOUGHT OF RERELEASING GEORGE HARRISON'S "MY SWEET LORD" AS "MY SWEET LORD NAKED"? DID THE LATE GEORGE HARRISON EVER THINK OF RERELEASING "MY SWEET LORD" AS "MY SWEET LORD NAKED"? I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THAT SONG NAKED TO HEAR HOW IT SOUNDS.
58 - Steve
The recent re-mastering of Beatles stuff in the LOVE album really shows what can be done using modern computer trickery with old master tapes.